Making a decision for Christ

[rockytopva]

The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. - Romans 10:8-10

Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. - Acts 16:30-31

Being saved is very easy. Working out your salvation is the hard part.

 

[JoeP222w]

Can you become a christian just by saying a prayer and walking forward at a crusade?

I'm asking because Im sure thats only the start of it and not even all of it. Someone I know wrote that was how she became a christian. Yet she struggles with trusting God even years later. Im just puzzled cos it was not how I was born again.

Maybe shes just having a long apprenticeship I dont know....

No. There is absolutely no examples of this is how people became believers in the Bible.

God transforms the heart through regeneration causing the sinner to repent and put their faith in Jesus Christ. All the credit of salvation goes to God. It is not by praying a sinners prayer, raising your hand, or coming forward in a worship service.

Buddhists pray. Muslims pray. Cults pray. But they do not have eternal life in Jesus Christ.

 

[geiroffenberg]

Can you become a christian just by saying a prayer and walking forward at a crusade?

Yes you can become a christian doing a lot of things, but nowhere did Jesus or any apostle say that we must become christians! It's just a title with different meanings depending on who you're talking to.

Entrance into the Kingdom, on the other hand, comes trough "metanoia" repentance, as this is the only gospel Jesus ever preached "repent, for the Kingdom is at hand". And anyone can do that without a church, a pastor, a crucade, even without a bible!

 

[Goodbook]

If you are worried for her, then hook her up with a Bible (or if you cannot afford, then with a website where she can read such as www.biblegateway.com) and encourage her to read the Gospel books for herself, maybe suggest one to her to start with like the book of Mark, since it is short and to the point, and also covers baptism. And let her know that if she wants to discuss it with you, that you will always be happy to talk with her about the scriptures she reads. Then pray for her.

The rest is between her and God, ya know? You can't force her to think or believe anything, or to do anything, but if she is moved to understand for herself, and you give her an easy, straightforward way to get started, then you have done what you can.

Try not to let it get under you skin if it seems like she was taught false or incomplete things, divisiveness between believers is no good. There are plenty of people out there who do and say hateful, false things and claim it is in the name of God, so when put in perspective, your potentially confused but well-meaning friend is among the least of possible offenses out there. Just give her a little nudge and a friendly ear if she needs to talk, hook her up with the Gospels and let her approach on her own.

Per the Gospels, Jesus baptizes people with the Holy Spirit, though Jesus Himself was baptized in water. Many people want both, which I feel similar for myself, but also remember the thief on the cross next to Jesus was never baptized in water, but Jesus saved the man, anyway, because Jesus baptize with the Holy Spirit. So it's possible for different people to get different messages from different ministers, depending on interpretations, etc.

Which is why if she really cares and wants to know, she will look into it for herself, yeah? So hook her up with the scriptures, and leave it between her and God, whether or not she desires to know for sure, for herself. And then be a friend if she has questions or wants to talk about it. Sounds like she has good intentions and desires to be saved, so she is way ahead compared to most people already. So I'd say forgive her on any semantics-disagreements and encourage her to keep reading/exploring.

Oh well if she is 40/50/60+ years old or her first encounter with religion was 40+ years ago, some people are late bloomers, some people take a good while to fully understand, some people never do but at least have the very basics, have faith, which counted a lot to Jesus in the Gospels.

So don't be all freaking out lol, hook her up with the scriptures, be a friend, pray and trust God. Maybe offer testimony of your own experience repenting and being born again in Christ, in a friendly, conversational way, to give her something to consider/compare, see what she thinks.

Yea I was freaking out a bit, cos shes so much older but seems like she didnt really 'get' all of it, and thus missing out. I know we work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. But cos she was hanging out with me an awful lot last year I had been observing how she handled things with God and started to realise something vital was missing. Yes God 'tugged at her heartstrings' but...she didnt obey Him she obeyed Billy Graham preaching instead. She wrote about going down to the front..I assume that means walking forward at church well anyone can do that. But thats not repentence.

 

[Steve Petersen]

" That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. "

Then what?

 

[gym_class_hero]

Then what?

then you begin to walk in Christ seeking the truth and becoming more like Him.

 

[Steve Petersen]

then you begin to walk in Christ seeking the truth and becoming more like Him.

So you actually have to do stuff? I mean, He did stuff.

 

[Goodbook]

Well Peter (after he was converted) said repent and be baptised. He didnt say pray the sinnners Prayer and walk.
Peter previously said a sinners prayer and walked and it didn't get him anywhere lol. Remember the episode on the boat? And he also said he was a sinful man.

then you begin to walk in Christ seeking the truth and becoming more like Him.

 

[JESUS=G.O.A.T]

I don't agree with you. Most of my family of origin including grandparents were/are unbelievers.

I wasn't saying you have to agree, I was just offering something for the other guy to try.


Whether you believe is up to you.

 

[Blade]

Can you become a christian just by saying a prayer and walking forward at a crusade?

I'm asking because Im sure thats only the start of it and not even all of it. Someone I know wrote that was how she became a christian. Yet she struggles with trusting God even years later. Im just puzzled cos it was not how I was born again.

Maybe shes just having a long apprenticeship I dont know....

Well the thief just said remember me and got in. who ever calls on the name of the lord shall be saved. So yes any can be "Christ like" with a simple tiny prayer PRAISE GOD and GLORY TO JESUS!

As for your friend. I do know her. Not all believe what they read. To many are told what GOD can not do. I was so blessed to be around those that "it had to be written". And to believe if HE said it HE WILL DO IT! His JOY His PEACE is REAL! So many dont know Jesus.. is more real they your brother you sister your spouse or best friend! And then there is LIFE! Satan uses it against us to many times and then must just take it and think.. that is GODS will.. praise GOD..it is not. But we now right now can pray believe GOD will strengthing her heart..help her faith if that is needed.. a joy of the lord that will be her strength. in JESUS name!

 

[Goodbook]

Well, people always go on about the thief next to Jesus on the cross but remember when people get sentenced to die that doesn't mean they weren't previously baptised as Jesus was also...people IN prison are not all condemned you know. Also that was BEFORE Jesus was resurrected. So many ppl forget this.

I do think about my high school friend who was saved five days before she went missing (at sea) but she did attempt to obey God with what little she knew however she also had to deal with the consequences of previous bad choices, just like the thief, we can't assume he didn't repent and wasn't eligible for baptism...besides my friend isn't close to dying (God forbid) and it not on her deathbed.

She's still got a lot of life left in her and choice to make whether she obeys Him or not..but I see that she's actually got a lot of sins weighing her down that she actually hasn't let go of or repented, she kind of wants to keep both, like being doubleminded. To have HER way and God's way. But its not going to work if they don't line up and that's what I see.

The title of her testimony was 'How I came to God, and stayed there'.

Well, on the surface it all sounds so christian but have thought about it a bit more and I realise she's still going about her way, she will listen for a while and then fall back into old habits just like Peter did looking down at the water instead of Jesus. Peter was so full of himself, reading about him makes me laugh but also want to smack him one cos he just doesn't really get what Jesus asks him to do.

 

[Rescued One]

I wasn't saying you have to agree, I was just offering something for the other guy to try.


Whether you believe is up to you.

What I disagreed with wasn't about trying something. It was that I don't think most Americans believe in God.

 

[Goodbook]

if you can pray for her that's good. Sorry if I seem to be going on about it, but just trying to pinpoint what seems to be missing.

 

[Philip_B]

After the beheadings, the Coptic Orthodox church released their names, but there were only 20 names. It was later learned that the 21st martyr was named Mathew Ayairga and that he was from Chad. He was originally a non-Christian, but he saw the immense faith of the others, and when the terrorists asked him if he rejected Jesus, he reportedly said, "Their God is my God", knowing that he would be killed.​

I would hold that this is a decision for Christ, at ultimate cost, in the face of ultimate peril, and I continue to pray that the 21 Martyrs including Matthew might Rest in Peace and Rose in Glory, and that the power and strength of their faith might strengthen both the Oriental Church and all of us in our faith.

 

[Radrook]

" That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. "

Such a scripture has to be understood within the context of everything else Jesus taught as well as what the NT taught after Jesus died on the cross. Jesus tells us that we demonstrate our love for him if we follow his commandments. James tells us that faith without works is dead. Right?

 

[gym_class_hero]

So you actually have to do stuff? I mean, He did stuff.

you only have to do stuff if you decide to obey.

 

[ToBeLoved]

Can you become a christian just by saying a prayer and walking forward at a crusade?

I'm asking because Im sure thats only the start of it and not even all of it. Someone I know wrote that was how she became a christian. Yet she struggles with trusting God even years later. Im just puzzled cos it was not how I was born again.

Maybe shes just having a long apprenticeship I dont know....

How were you born again if you don't mind my asking.

 

[ToBeLoved]

Yea I was freaking out a bit, cos shes so much older but seems like she didnt really 'get' all of it, and thus missing out. I know we work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. But cos she was hanging out with me an awful lot last year I had been observing how she handled things with God and started to realise something vital was missing. Yes God 'tugged at her heartstrings' but...she didnt obey Him she obeyed Billy Graham preaching instead. She wrote about going down to the front..I assume that means walking forward at church well anyone can do that. But thats not repentence.

Maybe you need to ask her to share the gospel of how someone is saved with you. Then you can hear in her own words what she thinks. If it is correct, than ask her if she has been saved.

 

[JESUS=G.O.A.T]

What I disagreed with wasn't about trying something. It was that I don't think most Americans believe in God.

I think most believe in God though I mean the muslims say allah=God so if you factor that in yeah.


Now I would argue the stats are skewed...and allah isn't God.....and a higher power isn't hte same as God if you don't specify what that is....

but yeah. Liek you I believe most don't believe in God or truly serve him, but I'm just going off what society classifies as believing in God, basically if you believe in a higher power of some sort and be good society believes you're set.

 

[KnitReadRepeat]

It is the start. Being a Christian is a relationship with God. Consider getting married; walking down the aisle and saying "I do" is not enough to sustain the relationship. You learn enough about your partner to feel able to join lives with him, and then from that day forward you live your life as a partnership. If you commit without understanding, and then do nothing whatsoever to maintain the relationship - talking, the choices you make daily, spending time together, growing in understanding of each other and so on - you are on a fast track to an end of that relationship. God won't end it - he's committed, and he does know us well and knows what He's getting into, but it becomes very easy for us to walk away, not 'feel it' anymore, and choose to leave, because we didn't build the relationship in the first place.